I rear back and punch the bar of the door hard. It flies open, and the suck of the wind and storm keeps it there.
I step out onto the stoop. Turn my head.
And there, at the end of the alley, I see him.
chef’s knife: /SHefs nīf/: noun
1: a versatile, all-purpose blade used for chopping, slicing, and dicing; the most essential tool in any kitchen.
2: the instrument that severs everything: flesh, bone, trust, love.
Bastian doesn’t see me at first. And he’s far enough away, separated by a dozen or more yards of trash-strewn alley and the thick veil of rainfall between us, that it’s hard for me to see exactly what he’s doing.
He’s kneeling on the ground, and laid out at his feet is—
Then I’m kneeling on the ground, too, before I even realize I’ve moved. My knees hit the wet pavement ha
